Attachment device for vacuum cleaning slat-like articles



Nov. 19, 1963 s. HJBERLEME ATTACHMENT DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANING SLAT-LIKE ARTICLES Filed Aug. 18, 1961 I 1 (H M r m F 12 E v z m P \x A in x 2 INYENTOR GEORGE l-l. BERLE ME BY W,WWQ%

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,110,923 ATTACHMENT DEViCE FOR VACUUM (ILEAN- ING SLAT-LEKE ARTICLES George H. Berlme, 69 Spcight Road, Kohimarama, Auckland, New Zealand Filed Aug. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 132,485 14} Claims. (Cl. 155-694) This invention relates to cleaning devices, and more particularly to a device for removing dirt and dust from the opposite surfaces, simultaneously, of thin slat-like articles.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an elongated nozzle is provided for connection with a source of vacuum, the nozzle being provided with a longitudinally extending slot which enables the nozzle to extend laterally over both surfaces of an article, such as a Venetian blind slat.

In addition, there is disposed within the nozzle extending centrally along the interior thereof, a bush-like means adapted to establish physical contact with both sides of the slat-like article to loosen particles of dirt and dust that may be more easily removed by the force of suction.

Furthermore, the brush-like means may of itself be of a somewhat impermeable nature and, therefore, by occupying a substantial portion of the space extending centrally along the nozzle, it will define a pair of narrow elongated passages for the air being drawn into the nozzle, whereby the effectiveness of the nozzle will be increased.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a brush adapted to be connected with the conventional hose of a vacuum cleaner for use in cleaning articles such as Venetian blind slats and the like.

Other objects and advantages will be evident after reading the following specification in connection with the attached drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one form of vacuum cleaning brush in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a View taken at right angles to that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1 and on the same scale as FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral indicates generally a device constructed in accordance with the present invention and comprises an elongated curved intake nozzle, indicated generally at 11, at one end, and provided with an outlet portion, indicated generally at 12, at the other end, and being disposed in communication with each other by means of a throat portion, indicated generally at 13. For convenience in manufacturing, the body of the device is preferably formed from two mating sections 14 and 15 of suitable molded plastic material. However, it was obvious that other materials may be used, and that the device could be fabricated in one piece by using tubular metal, or the like.

Since the invention has especial utility in the cleaning of Venetian blinds, and since the present-day practice is to make the slats for these blinds from strips of thin sheet metal having an arcuate cross-sectional configuration, it is preferable to shape the nozzle v1'1 with a longitudinal curvature which corresponds to that of the usual Venetian blind slat. In order that such a slat (a section of which is indicated at 16 in FIG. 2) may be received within the nozzle portion, the forward portion of the nozzle is provided with a longitudinally extending curved slot indicated generally at 17. This slot being of greater width than the thickness of the article to be cleaned and extends rearwardly along the opposite sides of the nozzle.

The slot 17 subdivides the forward portion of the nozzle into an upper portion 18 and a lower portion 19.

"ice

Contained within the hollow interior of the nozzle portion 11 is a longitudinally extending centrally disposed yieldable brushing, or wiping, means indicated generally by the numeral 20. This brushing means preferably comprises an integrally formed block of a soft multi-cellular material such as foamed polyurethane synthetic plastic. This block substantially fills the central interior portion of the nozzle extending rearWardly from the front of the slot 17 beyond the rear termination of the slot and partially into the throat portion 13. To hold the brushing means in place, it may be attached by means of suitable adhesive to the inside surface of the upper and lower portions 18 and 19 of the nozzle. A single piece of material may be used for the brushing means by slitting the block, as at 21, from side to side and along its length from the forward end and co-extensively with the length of the slot 17, thus, subdividing the brushing means into upper and lower portions 22 and 23, which will respectively frictionally engage with the upper and lower surfaces of a slat such as the slat 16. Obviously, two separate pieces of cellular material could be used for the upper and lower portions.

By turning now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that on one side of the nozzle, the slot 17 is defined by the depending marginal edge 24 of the upper portion of the nozzle and by the upwardly extending marginal edge 25 of the lower portion 19. Similarly, the slot on the other side of the nozzle is defined by the depending marginal edge 26 land the upstanding marginal edge 27. By observation of FIGS. 1 and 2, it will also be seen that the side faces 28 and 29 of the upper and lower brush portions 22 and 23 respectively, define in cooperation with the margins 26 and 27 an elongated air passage leading to the interior of the throat 13. Similarly, the other side faces 30 and 31 define with the respective marginal portions 24 and 25 another elongated air passage leading to the throat 13.

Since the brushing means 20 is substantially impervious to the passage of air, the intake of air will be practically confined to the two passages along each side of the brushing means, as indicated by the dotted line arrows 32 and 3?) in FIG. 2. In order to equalize the force of the air being drawn into the nozzle along the entire length of the slot 17, the cross-sectional area of the passages represented by the arrows 32 and 33 may gradually increase towards the rear of the nozzle portion either by varying the over-all cross-sectional area of the nozzle, or the cross-sectional area of the brushing rneans; that is to say that the area of the nozzle may increase in a rearward direction or the cross-sectional area of the brushing means may decrease in a rearward direction, or a combination of these two factors may be employed.

The rearward extremity 34 of the brushing means terminates beyond the end of the slot 17 and extends partially into the interior of the throat portion 13, so as to insure that there will be no reduction in the force of suction existing along the slot and that the flow of air along the two side passages, represented by arrows 32 and 33 in FIG. 2, will not merge until they have passed beyond the slot and into the throat. From this point on, the air is withdrawn through the outlet portion 12. The outlet 12 is constructed with a generally tapered internal diameter with the largest diameter being at its discharge end 35 so as to enable the outlet to be coupled with an airtight connection to the end of a vacuum hose (not shown) having any one of a number of standard external diameters. Alternativel as will be seen in FIG. 3, the interior of the outlet portion may he formed with a series of short sections of increasing diameter, as indicated at 36, 37, 38 and 39, each one of which conforms to the size of :a particular hose connection.

In operation, with the suction brush connected to the hose of a vacuum cleaner, is held generally at right angles to a Venetian blind slat l6, and moved forwardly so that the slat is embraced between the upper and lower portions 22 and 23 of the yieldable brushing means. Since the surface of this brushing means is relatively soft, it will conform intimately with both surfaces of the slat, yet will not damage it when the brush is moved over the surface. Keeping the suction brush as a whole at right angles to the length of the slat when the brush is moved ecl and forth along the slat, any dirt or dust will be win-ed ed by the brushing means 28 and immediatel withdrawn by the force of air being drawn in on each side of the brush.

it is true that the structure of certain multi-cellular materials, either natural or synthetic, are such that the cells are in communication with each other so that such materials, as a whole, would be somewhat porous. With these materials, therefore, a certain amount of the air entering the nozzle will pass through the brushing means. Nevertheless, they may be considered as being substantially impervious, as would be the case with materials having completely closed individual cell structures.

The fact that the brushing means is made of a material which is substantially impervious to the passage of air, results in a relatively high source of vacuum being maintained along the entire length of the slot 17, which results in a more eliective cleaning action than if the brushing means consisted solely of one or more rows of bristles. This wfll be understood when it is realized that for a given volume of air flow induced by the suction of the vacuum cleaner, the smaller the area and volume of the intake orifice, the greater the force of the air will be at that orifice.

Having disclosed a prefer-red form in which the principles of this invention may be embodied, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that modifications and improvements in the construction may be made which would fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for cleaning thin slat-like members, the combination including, an elongated hollow article having an elongated intake nozzle portion at one end and having outlet means at the other end for connection with a source of vacuum, said nozzle portion being open at the forward end and being provided with a horizontal slot extending along both sides in a rearward direction from said open end, substantially impervious brushing means of substantial width by comparison with the width of the nozzle portion disposed within said nozzle portion and having vertical side walls extending longitudinally of the nozzle portion between the upper and lower walls defined by said slots to define in turn a pair of longitudinally extending separate air passages in communication with said respective slots, each of said air passages being also in communication with said outlet means, only through the rear ends of the said passages. a

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said intake nozzle portion is tapered to provide an increasing cross-sectional area in a rearward direction.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said brushing means comprises a single elongated U-shaped block of yieldable multicellular material.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said brushing means comprises a unitary piece of material bifurcated in a rearward direction from the forward end thereof to permit said brushing means to embrace both surfaces of a thin slat-like article.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3, wherein said multi-cellular material comprises a foamed synthetic plastic composition.

6. In apparatus for cleaning both surfaces of thin slatlike articles, the combination including, an elongated hollow fitting having an elongated intake nozzle means at one end and outlet means at the other end for connection with a source of vacuum, said fitting including a throat portion between said intake nozzle means and said outlet means, said nozzle means being bifurcated into upper and lower portions at the forward end by a longitudinally extending slot extending along both sides of the nozzle, and substantially impervious wiping means of substantial width as compared to the width of the nozzle means contained within said nozzle means defining a pair of separate longitudinally extending air inlet passages along the sides of said nozzle, said wiping means extending rearwardiy beyond said slot into said throat meams spaced from the sides thereof to confine the movement of air from the inlet passages to the outlet means to the spaces between the wiping means and the sides of the throat means.

7. In apparatus for cleaning both surfaces simultaneously of thin slat-like articles, the combination including, an elongated intake nozzle means adapted to enclose both surfaces of a slat-like article, said nozzle means including interiorly disposed wiping means composed of a single piece of impervious synthetic cellular material to operatively engage with both said surfaces, said wiping means being arranged centrally of the nozzle means and extending longitudinally the entire length of the nozzle means, said Wiping means also extending laterally along its length to substantially fill the interior of the nozzle means to provide a narrow intake opening therein, and outlet means in communication with said intake nozzle means, said outlet means including means for detachable connection with the hose means of a vacuum cleaner.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7, wherein said connection means comprises a tubular portion having a generally tapering diameter along its length.

9. The invention as defined in claim 7, wherein said outlet means includes a tubular portion having successive interior portions of gradually reducing diameters.

10. The invention as defined in claim 7, wherein said intake nozzle means and outlet means are integrally formed of two sections of molded plastic material, the sections being joined along a plane extending longitudinally of the nozzle means and in a direction normal to the plane of the article to be cleaned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,907,370 Schoeller May 2, 1933 2,025,067 Miller Dec. 24, 1935 2,178,849 Breuer Nov. 7, 1939 2,207,320 Jones July 9, 1940 2,490,892 Westhoff Dec. 13, 1949 2,652,583 Tomanica Sept. 22, 1953 2,723,412 Harris Nov. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 160,686 Australia c.. Jan. 20, 1955 

7. IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTH SURFACES SIMULTANEOUSLY OF THIN SLAT-LIKE ARTICLES, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING, AN ELONGATED INTAKE NOZZLE MEANS ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE BOTH SURFACES OF A SLAT-LIKE ARTICLE, SAID NOZZLE MEANS INCLUDING INTERIORLY DISPOSED WIPING MEANS COMPOSED OF A SINGLE PIECE OF IMPERVIOUS SYNTHETIC CELLULAR MATERIAL TO OPERATIVELY ENGAGE WITH BOTH SAID SURFACES, SAID WIPING MEANS BEING ARRANGED CENTRALLY OF THE NOZZLE MEANS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE NOZZLE MEANS, SAID WIPING MEANS ALSO EXTENDING LATERALLY ALONG ITS LENGTH TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL THE INTERIOR OF THE NOZZLE MEANS TO PROVIDE A NARROW INTAKE OPENING THEREIN, AND OUTLET MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INTAKE NOZZLE MEANS, SAID OUTLET MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR DETACHABLE CONNECTION WITH THE HOSE MEANS OF A VACUUM CLEANER. 